Recent major activities The activities of the Dubai stockpile in 2013:

Core Relief Items (CRIs) were sent to 36 coun-

tries including Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and

other countries in Africa and Asia. The items

included 1,266,815 blankets, 73,850 buckets,

238,486 jerry cans, 197,972 kitchen sets, 310,515

sleeping mats, 60,736 mosquito nets, 283,053

plastic tarpaulins and 25,226 family tents.

A total of 13 charter flights were sent from the

UNHCR Dubai Stockpile, most of which were

Boeing 747 or 777.

The following items were also shipped out of

Dubai: 95 vehicles which included 4 x 4 vehicles,

pick ups, 4 UNHCR trucks, and 5 armored vehicles.

Accessories for these vehicles included 85 vehicle

bull bars, 80 vehicle HF radios, 40 vehicle VHF

radios. 63 bullet proof vests and helmets, 61 boxes

of building window’s protective films, 300 body

cover suits, 300 gas masks, 120 foot covers and 60

emergency travel kits were also sent from the

warehouse’s stock of safety and security items.

UNHCR Supply Office Dubai Office No. J20, Phase 2 Dubai Industrial City

P.O. Box : 506013 Dubai U.A.E.

Phone: +971 4 447 5510 Fax: +971 4 368 1006

e-mail: uaedu@unhcr.org www.unhcr.org

Spotlight

From modest beginnings in late 2006, the

Dubai office has seen a significant

increase in volume of operations.

In 2013, UNHCR Dubai served 36

countries with 103 outgoing shipments and

handled 60,410m3 of relief items. This was a

24 % increase compared to 2012. Within the

last two years, the total volume has

increased by over 100 %.

The number of vehicles dispatched in 2013

has increased by over 25% when compared

to the previous year.

A UNHCR field officer interacts with a family from Syria

in Iraqi Kurdistan. ©UNHCR

With Dubai’s strategic location in mind, the UNHCR

established a global emergency stockpile in the city in

2006. UNHCR’s office and warehouse are situated in

the International Humanitarian City (IHC), a

landmark initiative chaired by the UN Messenger of

Peace, HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, wife of His

Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum,

Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and

Ruler of Dubai. With ready access to all continents

and allowing for a rapid emergency response, UNHCR

Dubai is equipped to meet the basic relief needs of

350,000 destitute people.

Excellent logistics facilities

UNHCR Dubai enjoys a seamless supply chain by sea

and air which is ensured through its proximity to

Jebel Ali, the Middle East’s biggest and busiest sea-

port. From Jebel Ali, cargo vessels sail weekly to ports

worldwide including remote destinations. Also, six

international airports are located within a three hour

driving radius where charter planes can be deployed

in 24 to 48 hours. Dubai’s logistics services are

renowned for its professionalism and cost efficiency.

UNHCR has 20,000m2 of closed warehouse space which is

used to store resources that can be used by 350,000

people. Other than this, we also have 7,000 m2 of open

warehouses. ©UNHCR

UNHCR in Dubai

Global emergency stockpile

The emergency stockpile in Dubai is the largest of

several UNHCR global stockpiles; it can cater Core

Relief Items such as tents, blankets, plastic

sheeting, mosquito nets, kitchen sets, jerry cans,

and more for up to 350,000 people anywhere in

the world. Pre-fabricated warehouses and other

safety and security equipment for staff and office

support are also available.

The current 5 member team in Dubai also

manages a stock of vehicles, mainly four

wheel drives. The stock holds up to 100 units and

shortens the delivery time for operations from

several months to a maximum of few weeks. Many

of the vehicles are equipped with specific safety

and radio equipment in order to protect staff and

ensure adequate communication. Installations are

done to order within 48 hours.

Partnerships in emergency response Efficient humanitarian response in an emergency is

dependent on speed, teamwork and coordination.

For any dispatch from the global emergency

stockpile in Dubai, the team works closely with the

UNHCR Supply Management Service in Budapest,

UNHCR’s global freight forwarder, local authorities

and, of course, the UNHCR office in the receiving

country. Partnerships also extend to other UN

agencies and NGOs, in particular the World Food

Programme (WFP) which is also located in the

International Humanitarian City in Dubai.

The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and HH

Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice-

President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. visiting

UNHCR’s stockpile at the IHC in February 2013.

©UNHCR

Vehicles are stocked in the warehouses and shipped to

areas of need when necessary. ©UNHCR

Plastic sheeting loaded into containers to be shipped to Jordan in October 2013. ©UNHCR